Lucy, Gray, and Erza had made their way back to the guild, tired from the relentless 12-hour period of tracking down Natsu in this alternative time dimension. It was 7 pm, and the only thing that Erza had in mind was settling down on a piece of strawberry cake. Even with all the chaos arising with Natsu's evil version of himself and the changing of the whole present due to a simple mission, the scarlet mage found it absolutely necessary to take a sweet break. Neither Gray nor Lucy objected, as they found themselves making their way to the guild bar as well.
"Can I get a coke?" Gray asked Mira, desolately placing his elbow on the counter.
"Strawberry cake, please."
"I'll take coffee."
The three of them seemed exhausted, sluggishly sitting on the bar stools.
Mira smiled in response before fetching their requests. She placed the cake and beverages on the bar counter. "You all look drained! How was your day today?"
Lucy gave her a dimpled smile, yet she didn't know how to respond to her question. "It was all over the place, that's for sure."
The Take Over mage's grin suddenly dissipated, her eyes narrowing. She leaned towards them, her voice lowering to a whisper. "You didn't look for Natsu, did you?"
Erza exchanged a look with Gray and Lucy before her eyes shifted to Mira. "Need I remind you, it was for research purposes only." Her lips were tight as she hissed out those words.
Mira backed up, her eyebrows furrowed. "So you did look for him. And you found him?"
Gray nodded, his eyes glued to his soda. "He was burning a village."
Mira shook her head in disapproval. "I can't believe you all came back alive. Master would be furious if he heard about this."
Lucy's face brightened in a matter of seconds, her eyes widening in realization. Master! Why didn't we think of this before?! Master was the one who brought Natsu to Fairy Tail, so we can just ask what happened the day, July 7, x777! Lucy shot up from her seat, looking at Mirajane with sparkling eyes. "Where's gramps? Can we talk to him?!"
Mirajane cocked her head, confusion clouding her expression. She wrinkled her nose. "Gramps? No no no… Gramps isn't our master anymore…"
The three of them shot their eyes at her, the same perplexity reflecting on their faces.
"What do you mean? You're saying Makarov isn't Fairy Tail's guild master?"
Erza questioned, completely in a state of bewilderment.
"If Gramps isn't our guild master, then who is?" Gray asked, anxious for an answer.
As if on cue, a bulky, muscular man began walking down the stairs of the second floor. A fur coat was draped over his shoulders, and a scar shaped like a lightning bolt was configured on his face. It was Laxus, but something was very different about him in this time dimension. The left side of his face was engraved with a large burnt mark, spreading from his hairline to his cheeks. It covered his eye as well, texturizing his skin with scarred tissue. Mira made her way to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a warm embrace. He returned the gesture, hugging her with his muscular arms. He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. "Hey, babe."
"Good afternoon, Master Laxus! Haven't seen in all day!" She giggled, pulling away from his grasp.
Lucy spat out her coffee, Erza dropped her spoon, and Gray choked on his cola. The three of them were utterly speechless.
"You're master?" Erza pointed a shaky hand pointing towards him.
"You two are d-dating?!" Lucy stuttered. She had never felt so many surprises in one day.
"Wh-what happened to your face?!" Gray blurted, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.
Laxus looked from the three mages to Mirajane. "What's wrong with them?"
Mira bit her lip, her head slowly shaking from side to side. "I don't know, they've been acting very strangely. It's like they're hearing everything for the first time."
"I just don't understand. How did you become master?" Erza's eyes bore into Laxus, her expression nothing more than bewilderment.
He glared at Erza, attitude laced in his words. "Well, if you'd recall, I overthrew that old man's claim being master. He was too old for it anyways."
Erza thought back to Laxus' attempt of becoming guild master. In this time dimension, did he truly succeed with his attack against Fairy Tail?
Mirajane looked at Laxus, her arm interlocked with his. "I still can't forgive you of what you did, but at least I can say that Makarov is enjoying his retirement."
"And… how did you two become a thing?" Lucy questioned in disbelief, her eyes switching back and forth between the two.
"This happened a while ago," Mira responded. "After Laxus became master, he got the courage to ask me out." The take over mage caught Lucy jotting these notes down, and that frustrated her.
She pressed her lips together. "That's it, something's up here. Why is it that you all are acting so strangely? And why did you try to find Natsu?"
Laxus shot his head at them, his eyes narrowed. "You did what? What on Earthland made you do that?"
Lucy felt cornered, unable to explain their situation to them. Luckily, Erza spoke up for her. "It is an investigation we are doing. Nothing to be concerned of."
Mirajane raised her eyebrow. "Is that why you ask so many questions?"
Erza nodded, along with the mechanical head nod of Gray and Lucy.
Laxus thought for a moment. "For whatever investigation you are doing, for you to have to find Natsu shows that you are willing to put your lives to risk. I won't interfere with whatever you're doing, so just don't do anything stupid."
Lucy was disturbed on the fact that even Laxus, easily one of the strongest mages in her time dimension, was distressed by the strength of Natsu. And the horrid scar that stretched across his face wasn't putting her to ease either. If only she knew what had happened…
Erza gave a facile smiled. "Of course. You won't have to worry about us."
: : :
Magnolia's streets were quiet, as few people walked down it's darkened streets. It was past 9 pm, and the only movement that was in Natsu's apartment was from the fire mage himself, silently preparing for his midnight mission.
Natsu was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with black cargo pants. He strapped a vest onto on his chest before latching on knife pockets down one leg. On top of everything laid his white scarf, securely wrapped around his neck.
Happy sat on the bed next to him, intently watching his whole equipping process. Natsu seemed to be focused, but Happy decided to start a conversation anyways. "How was your date with Siren?"
"Good," Natsu responded, opening a drawer stashed with weapons. He dug through it, pulling out and examining knives he saw fit. "Ren wanted Chinese food, but we had tacos instead." He slid the daggers into his pockets.
"How'd you get into Magnolia without being noticed?"Happy questioned, handing him some smoke bombs.
Natsu accepted them, latching them onto a strap that slung across his chest. "Easy. She had a hat and sunglasses and I wore a wig." He held a hair tie in his mouth as he pulled his hair up into a small ponytail.
"Seriously? Ha! I didn't know that trick actually works!" Happy laughed.
Natsu chuckled along, taking a quick glance at his oldest friend before finishing his hair. The blue cat innocently sat off the edge of the bed, kicking his legs as he waited for his friend. Natsu was glad to have him by his side, because he always felt at peace when he's around. Once Natsu was done, he nodded. "Alright, let's go."
The moon was well in the sky. The night was still, and Natsu sped through the town as he leaped on the rooftops from building to building. When Fairy Tail came into view, he led to a stop, perching on top of a shop as he gazed at the massive guild hall in front of him. It was about the same size as his own guild, but it's bright and vibrant colors gave it a stark contrast. The flag adorning the center of the guild held the proud symbol of Fairy Tail, and one look at it stirred something inside Natsu's heart. He gave a sick and twisted smile, and his eyes beamed with excitement.
Happy, who was trailing behind him the whole time, frowned at the sight of this. He sighed, shaking his head. "Natsu… don't go overboard, okay?"
Natsu snapped out of his trance, changing his glance to his best friend. He took a breath and smiled softly. "Don't worry, buddy. And plus; that's what you're here for, right?"
Happy gave him an affirming nod, and Natsu turned back around, satisfied. He got back to focus, observing the building for a way of passage. It seemed that only one light there was on, and it was on the second floor. "Lively place." Natsu mumbled, acknowledging how it was only 9 o'clock, yet no one was there. One thing he knew about Fairy Tail was just how (despite their vibrant colors) unlively they were, at least compared to his life at Dark Sparrows. It would be three o'clock in the morning and people would still be partying at his place.
He pointed to that one window lit up, and gestured towards Happy. Jumping into action, Happy opened his wings and grabbed onto Natsu's back. The cat flew towards the building, and Natsu leaped onto that window ledge.
Inside, Natsu spotted a big, muscular man, seated on a desk as he was filling out report papers. He was listening to music through spiky earphones, and his back was facing the window.
"Found him," Natsu whispered, cracking the window open. Before crawling in, he faced Happy, pointing a finger at him. "Stay out here, m'kay?"
The blue cat nodded.
Natsu slid into the room in complete silence, not even his breath giving away his presence. Even so, Laxus looked up from his work, sniffing the air. He slowly took off his earphones before turning around, spotting the dark mage by the open window. The Fairy Tail Guild Master shot up, his hands pressed against his desk. His mouth tightened in a thin line as his eyes widened. "Salamander?"
Natsu stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking nonchalantly towards him. "Ah, you were always so sharp with your skills. How'd you know I got in?" He sneered, slowly approaching him.
Laxus gulped, a bead of sweat falling down his face. "Wh-what are you doing here?!" He stuttered.
Natsu vanished from his sight, suddenly reappearing behind him. He placed his hands on Laxus' shoulders. "Isn't it obvious? I want a rematch."
Natsu clenched his opponent's shoulders as his hand ignited on fire, burning through the thick fur coat that draped Laxus' shoulders.
Laxus spun around to face the intruder, throwing his heavy coat across the room. "You'll be damned to mess with Fairy Tail again… Leave at once, Natsu…" Lightning crackled at his feet. He prepared himself in a fighting position, his arms put up against him in defense, yet his whole body couldn't stop from quivering. Laxus refused to show his weakness, but he had to admit it, he had never felt more afraid.
Natsu chuckled, lowering his head. "Sorry, Laxus. You escaped death last time, but that won't happen again." His fingers reached down to the pocket strapped to his leg, pulling out a short blade. "Now, prepare to die."
Natsu launched forward to Laxus in a splitting second, thrashing the knife towards his chest.
With Laxus' immense reflexes, he dodged to the side as he chanted out a powerful attack: "Lightning Dragon's Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!" He charged forward and punched Natsu with a lightning fist, sending a large shock of electricity through his opponent's body.
Before his attack even ended, Natsu launched forward, clawing at Laxus with his hand ablaze. Caught off guard, Laxus was struck from the attack, flying backwards several feet. He immediately pushed off the wall and transformed his body into a large lightning bolt, and he began sprinting around Natsu with an accelerating speed. Natsu took off as well, his speed making him look no more than a red blur, as he challenged Laxus's pace. Happy watched from the window, yet he saw nothing but two blurs, a yellow and red one, as they fought each other with great intensity.
The walls trembled as fire explosions and bolts of lightning shook the air, and Happy ended up losing his balance from the window sill. He fell onto the floor, and an attempt to summon his wings and fly back to safety failed when a lightning bolt crashed on the wall above his head. Frightened, Happy made his way under the desk, trembling within his blue fur as more fire and lightning attacks hit the floor and walls around him. Happy took a look at the office he was in, acknowledging the charred wooden floor and burnt-up furniture from the fight between two powerful opponents. If this continued any longer, then the whole guild would be destroyed!
Both blurs suddenly stopped moving.
Happy's eyes exchanged between the two men, relieved to see that Natsu was the only one standing. He had minor scratches and bruises, with the thrill of adrenaline and bloodlust in his eyes. Laying in front of him was a beaten-up Laxus, with deeper cuts on him from the dagger Natsu held, as well as burnt marks under the shredded clothes on his arms and legs. On the center of his body had a shredded hole in his purple button-down shirt, and carved on his skin was a flying sparrow, resembling the guild mark Natsu had on his own shoulder.
Happy was astonished. The fact that Natsu wasn't only able to hold his own against Fairy Tail's guild master, but to also defeat him and mockingly draw their emblem on his chest in that short period of fighting was beyond him.
"There you go, if your death doesn't scare your guild enough, then hopefully that scar will." Natsu sneered, slowly walking closer to Laxus. "Plus, it compliments that scar I put on your face."
The lightning mage had sweat drenched on him as he huffed for air. His furious eyes bore into Natsu's excited ones, stubbornly denying the look of defeat.
"Natsu… I don't know why you're here, but I want you to know that I'm not planning to kick the bucket any time soon…"
Natsu laughed. "It's as if you think you have a choice!" Natsu squatted next to Laxus, his face growing serious. "Look, I'd have to admit, you're probably one of the strongest mages I've fought. I mean honestly, no one surpasses on fighting over 2 minutes with me. I'd hate to say this, but I'm gonna miss you." Unexpectedly, his face contorted into a sadistic expression, his eyes dilating and his canines glaring in a malicious smirk. "Now just wait until I melt the skin off your bone."
Happy froze in terror, realizing that with Natsu's current state, he was too close to the battle. Natsu was in berserk mode, and that never ended well. Happy felt Natsu's power peak as it became uncontrollable, and he knew that being only a few feet from the Dragon Slayer had put himself in danger. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Mystic Flame." Natsu's body ignited in flames, it's majestic red and black colors moving like an entrancing dance, a type of flame that he has mastered. It is to mesmerize his opponents, so they could burn under his scorching heat. Happy shielded his eyes from Natsu the moment he knew that was his plan, but unfortunately, Laxus got caught staring at the flames, his eyes widening in captivation. "What… what is this…?" He stuttered.
"Shhh…" Natsu interrupted him, placing his finger on his lips. "I want to hear you scream in agony…"
Happy felt the atmosphere get hotter, to the point where waves of heat were visible to the eye. The room became a furnace, as the wooden floors began burning and objects started melting. Happy knew that he was supposed to stop Natsu if he went out of control, but at this point, he would basically be asking for a death wish. He had to get out of there, and fast. Happy began running to the exit, but the excruciating heat made him weary and tired. The small cat fell to his knees, and he broke into a coughing fit as he inhaled smoke.
Laxus' dignity was just as tough as his skin, and he refused to let that go even as he was entranced from the fire. Laxus' shirt was well burnt off by then, yet the stubborn man refused to give Natsu what he wanted. Laxus gritted his teeth and slapped his own cheek, doing all that he could to remove his eyes from the enchanting flames, to attack Natsu, to run to safety. But he couldn't get himself move, only to endure the scorching flames with his tough, sweaty skin.
Laxus might've been able to handle it, but Happy wasn't. He began screaming, yelling on the top of his lungs for the pain to end, for Natsu to stop, for them to go home. He wanted anything for it to end, because the heat was unbearable.
"NATSU! PLEASE! STOP, IT BURNS!"
Natsu head snapped back, noticing his best friend on the floor, screaming in pain. No no no… that wasn't the screaming he wanted… He wanted Laxus, Fairy Tail's almighty guild master to scream, not his best friend…
Instantly, the heat stopped. The fire dissipated, and the screaming ended. Happy was unconscious on the floor, and tears brimmed Natsu's eyes.
"Crap!" Natsu skidded to Happy's side, and he carefully cradled him within his arms. "What have I done… what have I done…" The cat was unresponsive, and his uneven breaths shook and he seemed to be in really bad condition.
Natsu pressed Happy's chest against his ear, hearing a soft flutter of a heartbeat within his small body. The dark mage shook his head as he gritted his teeth, and a muster of curse words hissed from his lips.
Laxus threw himself to the side, panting heavily from the release of that torture.
He looked up, only to find Natsu and his cat gone, as well the interior of his room completely demolished.
: : :